Geography of Croatia

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Geography of Croatia
Croatia
Continent Europe
Region Central Europe and Southeastern Europe
Coordinates 45°10′N 15°30′E / 45.167°N 15.5°E / 45.167; 15.5
Area Ranked 127
56,594 km2 (21,851 sq mi)
99% land
1 % water
Borders 2,374.9 km (1,475.7 mi)
Highest point Dinara
1,831 m (6,007 ft)
Lowest point Adriatic Sea
(sea level)
Longest river Sava
562 km (349 mi)
Largest lake Lake Vrana
30.7 km2 (11.9 sq mi)

The Geography of Croatia is defined by its location—it is described as a part of Central Europe and Southeast Europe, a part of the Balkans and the Mitteleuropa. Croatia's territory covers 56,594 km2 (21,851 sq mi), making it the 127th largest country in the world. It borders Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia in the east, Slovenia in the west, Hungary in the north and Montenegro and the Adriatic Sea in the south. It lies mostly between latitudes 42° and 47° N and longitudes 13° and 20° E. Croatia's territorial waters encompass 18,981 square kilometres (7,329 sq mi) in a 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) wide zone, and its internal waters located within the baseline cover an additional 12,498 square kilometres (4,826 sq mi).

The Pannonian Basin and the Dinaric Alps, along with the Adriatic Basin, represent major geomorphological parts of Croatia. The largest part of Croatia consists of lowlands, with elevations of less than 200 metres (660 ft) above sea level recorded in 53.42% of the country. The bulk of the lowlands are found in the northern regions of the country, especially in Slavonia, itself a part of the Pannonian Basin plain. The plains are interspersed with horst and graben structures, believed to have broken the Pliocene Pannonian Sea's surface as islands. The greatest concentration of ground at relatively high elevations is found in the Lika and Gorski Kotar areas in the Dinaric Alps, but high areas are found in all regions of Croatia to some extent. The Dinaric Alps contain the highest mountain in Croatia—1,831-metre (6,007 ft) Dinara—as well as all other mountains in Croatia higher than 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). Croatia's Adriatic Sea mainland coast is 1,777.3 kilometres (1,104.4 mi) long, while its 1,246 islands and islets encompass a further 4,058 kilometres (2,522 mi) of coastline—the most indented coastline in the Mediterranean. Karst topography makes up about half of Croatia and is especially prominent in the Dinaric Alps, as well as throughout the coastal areas and the islands.

The largest part of Croatia, 62% of its territory, is encompassed by the Black Sea drainage basin. The area includes the largest rivers flowing in the country: the Danube, Sava, Drava, Mur and Kupa. The rest of the country belongs to the Adriatic Sea drainage basin, where the largest river by far is the Neretva. Most of Croatia has a moderately warm and rainy continental climate as defined by the Köppen climate classification. The mean monthly temperature ranges between −3 °C (27 °F) and 18 °C (64 °F). Croatia has a number of ecoregions because of its climate and geomorphology, and the country is consequently one of the richest in Europe in terms of biodiversity. There are four types of biogeographical regions in Croatia: Mediterranean along the coast and in its immediate hinterland; Alpine in the elevated Lika and Gorski Kotar; Pannonian along the Drava and Danube; and Continental in the remaining areas. There are 444 protected natural areas in Croatia, encompassing 8.5% of the country; there are about 37,000 known species in Croatia, and the total number of species is estimated to be between 50,000 and 100,000.

The permanent population of Croatia by the 2011 census reached 4.29 million. The population density was 75.8 inhabitants per square kilometre, and the overall life expectancy in Croatia at birth was 75.7 years. The country is inhabited mostly by Croats (89.6%), while minorities include Serbs (4.5%), and 21 other ethnicities (less than 1% each) recognized by the constitution. Since the counties were re-established in 1992, Croatia is divided into 20 counties and the capital city of Zagreb. The counties subdivide into 127 cities and 429 municipalities. The average urbanisation rate in Croatia stands at 56%, with a growing urban population and shrinking rural population. The largest city and the nation's capital is Zagreb, with an urban population of 686,568 in the city itself and a metropolitan area population of 978,161. The populations of Split and Rijeka exceed 100,000, and five more cities in Croatia have populations greater than 50,000.

Contents

[edit] Area and borders

Croatia's territory covers 56,594 square kilometres (21,851 square miles),[1] making it the 127th largest country largest in the world.[2] Physical geography of Croatia is defined by its location—it is described as a part of the Central Europe and the Southeast Europe, a part of the Balkans and of the Mitteleuropa.[3] Croatia borders Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia in the east, Slovenia in the west, Hungary in the north and Montenegro and the Adriatic Sea in the south. It lies mostly between latitudes 42° and 47° N and longitudes 13° and 20° E. Part of the territory in the extreme south is separated from the rest of the mainland by a short coastline strip belonging to Bosnia and Herzegovina around Neum.[4]

Croatia's 355.5-kilometre (220.9 mi) border with Hungary was inherited from Yugoslavia. Much of the border with Hungary follows Drava River or its former river bed, as that part of the border dates from the Middle Ages. The border in Međimurje and Baranya was defined as a border between the Kingdom of Hungary and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, later renamed Kingdom of Yugoslavia, pursuant to the Treaty of Trianon of 1920.[5][6] Present outline of the 1,011.4-kilometre (628.5 mi) border with Bosnia and Herzegovina and 22.6-kilometre (14.0 mi) border with Montenegro is largely the result of the Ottoman conquest and subsequent recapture of territories in the Great Turkish War of 1667 – 1698 formally ended with the Treaty of Karlowitz,[7] and the Fifth and the Seventh Ottoman–Venetian Wars.[8] The border sustained minor modifications in 1947 when all borders of former Yugoslav constituent republics had been defined by demarcation commissions pursuant to decisions of AVNOJ of 1943 and 1945 regarding the federal organization of Yugoslavia. The commissions also defined Baranya and Međimurje as Croatian territories. It also set up the present-day 317.6-kilometre (197.3 mi) border between Serbia and Croatia in Syrmia and along the Danube River between Ilok and mouth of Drava and further north to the Hungarian border, the Ilok – Drava section matching the border between the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia and the Bács-Bodrog County that existed until 1918 and the end of the World War I. The largest part of 667.8-kilometre (415.0 mi) border with Slovenia was also defined by the commissions, matching the northwestern border of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia,[9] and establishing a new section of Croatian border north of Istria peninsula according to ethnic composition of the territory previously a part of the Kingdom of Italy.[10]

Pursuant to the Treaty of Peace with Italy of 1947 islands of Cres, Lastovo and Palagruža and the cities of Zadar and Rijeka and most of Istria to communist Yugoslavia and Croatia, while carving out Free Territory of Trieste (FTT) as a city-state.[11] The FTT was partitioned in 1954 as Trieste itself and area to the North of it were placed under Italian and the rest under Yugoslav control. The arrangement was made permanent by the Treaty of Osimo in 1975. The Yugoslav zone of the former FTT was partitioned between Croatia and Slovenia largely conforming to ethnic composition of population of the area.[12]

Length of land borders of Croatia (including rivers)[1]
Country Length
Slovenia 667.8 km (415.0 mi)
Hungary 355.5 km (220.9 mi)
Serbia 317.6 km (197.3 mi)
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1,011.4 km (628.5 mi)
Montenegro 22.6 km (14.0 mi)
Total 2,374.9 km (1,475.7 mi)

[edit] Extreme points

Main article: Extreme points of Croatia
United Nations Cartographic Section's map of Croatia

The geographical extreme points of Croatia are Žabnik in the Međimurje County as the northernmost point, Rađevac near Ilok in the Vukovar-Syrmia County as the easternmost point, Cape Lako near Bašanija in the Istria County as the westernmost point and islet of Galijula in Palagruža archipelago in the Split-Dalmatia County as the southernmost point. Cape Oštra of the Prevlaka peninsula in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County is the southernmost point of the mainland.[1] In the late 19th century, Austria-Hungary established a geodetic network, whose elevation benchmark was determined on the basis of oscillations of the Adriatic Sea level at the Sartorio pier in Trieste. The benchmark was subsequently retained by Austria, adopted by Yugoslavia, and retained by the states that emerged after its dissolution, including Croatia.[13][14]

Extreme points of Croatia[1]
Point Name Part of County Note
Northernmost Žabnik Sveti Martin na Muri Međimurje 46°33′N 16°22′E / 46.55°N 16.367°E / 46.55; 16.367 (Žabnik (Northernmost point))
Southernmost* Galijula Palagruža archipelago Split-Dalmatia 42°23′N 16°21′E / 42.383°N 16.35°E / 42.383; 16.35 (Galijula (Southernmost point))
Cape Oštra Prevlaka peninsula Dubrovnik-Neretva 42°24′N 18°32′E / 42.4°N 18.533°E / 42.4; 18.533 (Rt Oštra (Southernmost point))
Easternmost Rađevac Ilok Vukovar-Syrmia 45°12′N 19°27′E / 45.2°N 19.45°E / 45.2; 19.45 (Rađevac (Easternmost point))
Westernmost Cape Lako Umag Istria 45°29′N 13°30′E / 45.483°N 13.5°E / 45.483; 13.5 (Cape Lako (Westernmost point))
Highest Dinara peak Dinara Šibenik-Knin 1,831 m (6,007 ft) above sea level,
44°3′N 16°23′E / 44.05°N 16.383°E / 44.05; 16.383 (Dinara (Highest point))
Lowest Adriatic Sea Mediterranean Sea N/A sea level, 43°N 15°E / 43°N 15°E / 43; 15 (Adriatic Sea (Lowest point))
*Cape Oštra is the southernmost point of the mainland, while Galijula is the southernmost point of Croatian territory.

[edit] Maritime claims

See also: Ecological and Fisheries Protection Zone
Croatian Ecological and Fisheries Protection Zone of the Adriatic Sea

Italy and Yugoslavia defined their delimitation of the continental shelf in the Adriatic Sea in 1968,[15] with an additional agreement on the boundary in the Gulf of Trieste signed in 1975 pursuant to the Treaty of Osimo. All successor states of the former Yugoslavia accepted the agreements. Prior to breakup of Yugoslavia, Albania, Italy and Yugoslavia initially proclaimed 15-nautical-mile (28 km; 17 mi) territorial waters, subsequently reduced to 12 nautical miles (22 kilometres; 14 miles) and all sides adopted baseline systems. Croatia also declared the Ecological and Fisheries Protection Zone (ZERP) extending to the continental shelf boundary, but its application to the EU member states was suspended pending resolution of a border dispute with Slovenia.[16] Croatia's territorial waters encompass 18,981 square kilometres (7,329 square miles), and its internal waters located within the baseline cover additional 12,498 square kilometres (4,826 square miles).[17]

[edit] Border disputes

See also: Croatia–Slovenia border disputes, Island of Šarengrad, and Island of Vukovar

Croatia and Slovenia started negotiations to define maritime borders in the Gulf of Piran in 1992 but failed to agree, resulting in a dispute which was referred to arbitration in 2009. Both of the countries also declared their economic zones which partially overlap.[16][18] Still the dispute causes no major practical problems. Maritime boundary between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia was formally settled in 1999, but few issues in dispute—Klek peninsula and two islets in the border area. Croatia–Montenegro maritime boundary is disputed in the Bay of Kotor, at the Prevlaka peninsula. This dispute had been exacerbated by the occupation of the peninsula by the Yugoslav People's Army and later by FR Yugoslav Army, which in turn was replaced by a United Nations observer mission that lasted until 2002. Croatia took over the area as an agreement was made that allowed Montenegrin presence in Croatian waters in the bay, and the dispute proved far less contentious since the independence of Montenegro in 2006.[16]

Land border disputes pertain to comparably small strips of land. The Croatia–Slovenia border disputes exist along the lower course of the Dragonja River where Slovenia claims four hamlets on the left bank of the river, Sveta Gera peak of Žumberak where exact territorial claims were never made and appear to be limited to a military barracks on the peak itself, and along Mura River where Slovenia demands the border to be moved from a former river bed to the current one and claims a piece of land near Hotiza.[19] There are also land border disputes between Croatia and Serbia as Croatia claims cadastral borders between Croatian and Serbian municipalities along the Danube, effectively following a former river bed, while the two countries presently control a bank of the river each. Croatia also claims the Vukovar and the Šarengrad islands in the Danube as its territory.[20] There are also several border disputes with Bosnia and Herzegovina.[21]

[edit] Physical geography

[edit] Topography

Main article: Topography of Croatia

The largest part of Croatia consists of lowlands, with elevations of less than 200 metres (660 feet) above sea level recorded in 53.42% of the country. Bulk of the lowlands are found in the northern regions of the country, especially in Slavonia, representing a part of the Pannonian Basin. Territory with elevations of 200 to 500 metres (660 to 1,600 feet) above sea level encompasses 25.61% of Croatia's territory, and the areas between 500 and 1,000 metres (1,600 and 3,300 feet) above sea level cover the 17.11% of the country. Further 3.71% of the land is situated at 1,000 to 1,500 metres (3,300 to 4,900 feet) above sea level, and only 0.15% of Croatia's territory lies at elevations greater than 1,500 metres (4,900 feet) above sea level.[1] The greatest concentration of ground at relatively high elevations is found in Lika and Gorski Kotar areas in the Dinaric Alps, but such areas are found in all regions of Croatia to some extent.[17] The Pannonian Basin and the Dinaric Alps, along with the Adriatic Basin represent major geomorphological parts of Croatia.[22]

[edit] Adriatic Basin

See also: Adriatic Sea and List of islands of Croatia
Kornati national park

Croatia's Adriatic Sea mainland coast is 1,777.3 kilometres (1,104.4 miles) long, while its 1,246 islands and islets encompass further 4,058 kilometres (2,522 miles) of coastline. The distance between the extreme points of Croatia's coastline is 526 kilometres (327 miles).[23] The number of islands includes all islands, islets, and rocks of all sizes, including ones emerging at ebb tide only.[24] The islands include the largest ones in the Adriatic—Cres and Krk, each covering 405.78 square kilometres (156.67 square miles), and the tallest—Brač, whose peak reaches 780 metres (2,560 feet) above sea level. The islands include 48 permanently inhabited ones, the most populous among them being Krk and Korčula.[1]

The shore is the most indented coastline in the Mediterranean.[25] The majority of the coast is characterised by a karst topography, developed from the Adriatic Carbonate Platform. Karstification there largely began after the final uplift of the Dinarides in the Oligocene and the Miocene, when carbonate deposits were exposed to atmospheric effects, extending to the level of 120 metres (390 feet) below present sea level, exposed during the Last Glacial Maximum. It is estimated that some karst formations are related to earlier immersions, most notably the Messinian salinity crisis.[26] The largest part of the eastern coast consists of carbonate rocks, while flysch is significantly represented in the Gulf of Trieste coast, on the Kvarner Gulf coast opposite Krk, and in Dalmatia north of Split.[27] There are comparably small alluvial areas of the Adriatic coast in Croatia—most notably the Neretva river delta.[28] The western Istria is gradually subsiding, having sunk about 1.5 metres (4 feet 11 inches) in the past two thousand years.[29] In the Middle Adriatic Basin, there is evidence of Permian volcanism observed in area of Komiža on the island of Vis and as volcanic islands of Jabuka and Brusnik.[30]

[edit] Dinaric Alps

Main article: Dinaric Alps
Dinara seen from Knin

Formation of the Dinaric Alps is linked to a Late Jurassic to recent fold and thrust belt, itself a part of Alpine orogeny, extending southeast from the southern Alps.[31] The Dinaric Alps in Croatia encompass the entire Gorski Kotar and Lika regions, as well as considerable parts of Dalmatia, with their norteastern edge running from 1,181-metre (3,875 ft) Žumberak to Banovina region, along the Sava River,[32] and their westernmost landforms being 1,272-metre (4,173 ft) Ćićarija and 1,396-metre (4,580 ft) Učka mountains in Istria. The Dinaric Alps contain the highest mountain in Croatia—1,831-metre (6,007 ft) Dinara, as well as all other mountains in Croatia higher than 1,500 metres (4,900 feet)—Biokovo, Velebit, Plješivica, Velika Kapela, Risnjak, Svilaja and Snježnik.[1]

Karst topography makes up about half of Croatia and is especially prominent in the Dinaric Alps.[33] There are numerous caves in Croatia, 49 of which deeper than 250 metres (820.21 feet), 14 deeper than 500 metres (1,640.42 feet) and three deeper than 1,000 metres (3,280.84 feet).[34] The longest cave in Croatia, Kita Gaćešina, is at the same time the longest cave in the Dinaric Alps at 20,656 metres (67,769 feet).[35]

Highest mountain peaks of Croatia[1]
Mountain Peak Elevation Coordinates
Dinara Dinara 1,831 m (6,007 ft) 44°3′N 16°23′E / 44.05°N 16.383°E / 44.05; 16.383
Biokovo Sveti Jure 1,762 m (5,781 ft) 43°20′N 17°03′E / 43.333°N 17.05°E / 43.333; 17.05
Velebit Vaganski vrh 1,757 m (5,764 ft) 44°32′N 15°14′E / 44.533°N 15.233°E / 44.533; 15.233
Plješivica Ozeblin 1,657 m (5,436 ft) 44°47′N 15°45′E / 44.783°N 15.75°E / 44.783; 15.75
Velika Kapela Bjelolasica – Kula 1,533 m (5,030 ft) 45°16′N 14°58′E / 45.267°N 14.967°E / 45.267; 14.967
Risnjak Risnjak 1,528 m (5,013 ft) 45°25′N 14°45′E / 45.417°N 14.75°E / 45.417; 14.75
Svilaja Svilaja 1,508 m (4,948 ft) 43°49′N 16°27′E / 43.817°N 16.45°E / 43.817; 16.45
Snježnik Snježnik 1,506 m (4,941 ft) 45°26′N 14°35′E / 45.433°N 14.583°E / 45.433; 14.583

[edit] Pannonian Basin

Main article: Pannonian Basin
A plain in Slavonia

The Pannonian Basin took shape through Miocenian thinning and subsidence of crust structures formed during Late Paleozoic Variscan orogeny. The Paleozoic and Mesozoic structures are visible in Papuk and other Slavonian mountains. The processes also led to formation of a stratovolcanic chain in the basin 17 – 12 Mya and intensified subsidence observed until 5 Mya as well as flood basalts about 7.5 Mya. Contemporary uplift of the Carpathian Mountains severed water flow to the Black Sea and Pannonian Sea formed in the basin. Sediment were transported to the basin from uplifting Carpathian and Dinaric mountains, with particularly deep fluvial sediments being deposited in the Pleistocene during uplift of the Transdanubian Mountains.[36] Ultimately, up to 3,000 metres (9,800 feet) of the sediment was deposited in the basin, and the sea eventually drained through the Iron Gate gorge.[37]

The results of those processes are large plains in the eastern Slavonia, Baranya and Syrmia, as well as in river valleys, especially along Sava, Drava and Kupa. The plains are interspersed by the horst and graben structures, believed to break the Pannonian Sea surface as islands.[38] The tallest among such landforms are 1,059-metre (3,474 ft) Ivanšćica and 1,035-metre (3,396 ft) Medvednica north of Zagreb and in Hrvatsko Zagorje as well as 984-metre (3,228 ft) Psunj and 953-metre (3,127 ft) Papuk which are the tallest among the Slavonian mountains surrounding Požega.[1] Psunj, Papuk and adjacent Krndija consist mostly of Paleozoic rocks which are 350 – 300 million years old. Požeška gora, adjacent to Psunj, consists of much more recent Neogene rocks, but there are also Upper Cretaceous sediments and igneous rocks forming the main, 30-kilometre (19 mi) ridge of the hill and representing the largest igneous landform in Croatia. A smaller igneous landform is also present on Papuk, near Voćin.[39] The two, as well as Moslavačka gora are possible remnants of a volcanic arc related to uplifting of the Dinaric Alps.[31]

[edit] Hydrography

See also: List of rivers of Croatia and List of lakes in Croatia
Sava, the longest river in Croatia

The largest part of Croatia, 62% of its territory, is encompassed by the Black Sea catchment area. The area includes the largest rivers flowing in the country: Danube, Sava, Drava, Mura and Kupa. The rest of the country belongs to the Adriatic Sea catchment, where the largest river by far is Neretva.[40][41] The longest rivers in Croatia are 562-kilometre (349 mi) Sava, 505-kilometre (314 mi) Drava, 296-kilometre (184 mi) Kupa and Danube, whose flow in Croatia is 188 kilometres (117 miles) long. The longest rivers emptying into the Adriatic Sea are 101-kilometre (63 mi) Cetina and Neretva, whose course through Croatia is only 20 kilometres (12 miles) long.[1]

The largest lakes in Croatia are 30.7-square-kilometre (11.9 sq mi) Lake Vrana located in the northern Dalmatia, 17.1-square-kilometre (6.6 sq mi) Lake Dubrava near Varaždin, 13.0-square-kilometre (5.0 sq mi) Peruća Lake reservoir on the Cetina River, 11.1-square-kilometre (4.3 sq mi) Lake Prokljan near Skradin and 10.1-square-kilometre (3.9 sq mi) Lake Varaždin reservoir through which Drava River flows near Varaždin.[1] Croatia's most famous lakes are the Plitvice lakes, a system of 16 lakes with waterfalls connecting them over dolomite and limestone cascades. The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colours, ranging from turquoise to mint green, grey or blue.[34] Croatia has a remarkable wealth in terms of wetlands. Four of those are included in the list of Ramsar wetlands of international importance: Lonjsko Polje along Sava and Lonja rivers near Sisak, Kopački Rit at the confluence of Drava and Danube, Neretva delta and Crna Mlaka near Jastrebarsko.[40]

Average annual precipitation and evaporation rates are determined at 1,162 millimetres (45.7 inches) and 700 millimetres (28 inches) respectively. Taking into consideration overall water balance, total Croatian water resources amount to 25,163 cubic metres (888,600 cubic feet) per year per capita, including 5,877 cubic metres (207,500 cubic feet) per year per capita of own water resources.[42]

[edit] Climate

Plitvice Lakes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Most of Croatia has a moderately warm and rainy continental climate as defined by the Köppen climate classification. Mean monthly temperature ranges between −3 °C (27 °F) (in January) and 18 °C (64 °F) (in July). The coldest parts of the country are Lika and Gorski Kotar where snowy forested climate is found at elevations above 1,200 metres (3,900 feet). The warmest areas of Croatia are at the Adriatic coast and especially in its immediate hinterland characterized by the Mediterranean climate, as the temperature highs are moderated by the sea. Consequently, temperature peaks are more pronounced in the continental areas—the lowest temperature of −35.5 °C (−31.9 °F) was recorded on 3 February 1919 in Čakovec, and the highest temperature of 42.4 °C (108.3 °F) was recorded on 5 July 1950 in Karlovac.[4]

Mean annual precipitation ranges between 600 millimetres (24 inches) and 3,500 millimetres (140 inches) depending on geographic region and prevailing climate type. The least precipitation is recorded in the outer islands (Vis, Lastovo, Biševo, Svetac) and in the eastern parts of Slavonia, however in the latter case, it is mostly occurring during the growing season. The maximum precipitation levels are observed on the Dinara mountain range and in Gorski kotar. Prevailing winds in the interior are light to moderate northeast or southwest, and in the coastal area prevailing winds are determined by local area features. Higher wind velocities are more often recorded in cooler months along the coast, generally as bura or less frequently as sirocco. The sunniest parts of the country are the outer islands, Hvar and Korčula, where more than 2,700 hours of sunshine are recorded per year, followed by the southern Adriatic Sea area in general, northern Adriatic coast, and Slavonia, all with more than 2,000 hours of sunshine per year.[4]

Climate characteristics in major cities in Croatia
City Mean temperature (daily high) Mean total rainfall
January July January July
°C °F °C °F mm in days mm in days
Dubrovnik 12.2 54.0 28.3 82.9 95.2 3.75 11.2 24.1 0.95 4.4
Osijek 2.6 36.7 28.0 82.4 45.5 1.79 12.2 60.8 2.39 10.2
Rijeka 8.7 47.7 27.7 81.9 134.9 5.31 11.0 82.0 3.23 9.1
Split 10.2 50.4 29.8 85.6 77.9 3.07 11.1 27.6 1.09 5.6
Zagreb 3.1 37.6 26.7 80.1 48.6 1.91 10.8 81.0 3.19 10.9
Source:World Meteorological Organization[43]

[edit] Biodiversity

Main article: Protected areas of Croatia
Kopački Rit nature park, one of the largest wetlands in Europe

Croatia can be subdivided between a number of ecoregions because of its climate and geomorphology, and the country is consequently one of the richest in Europe in terms of biodiversity. There are four types of biogeographical regions in Croatia—Mediterranean along the coast and in its immediate hinterland, Alpine in most of Lika and Gorski Kotar, Pannonian along Drava and Danube, and continental in the remaining areas. One of the most significant are karst habitats which include submerged karst, such as Zrmanja and Krka canyons and tufa barriers, as well as underground habitats. The karst geology harbours approximately 7,000 caves and pits, some of which are habitat of the only known aquatic cave vertebrate—the olm. Forests are also significantly present in the country, as they cover 26,487.6 square kilometres (10,226.9 square miles) representing 46.8% of Croatian land surface.[17] The other habitat types include wetlands, grasslands, bogs, fens, scrub habitats, coastal and marine habitats.[44] In terms of phytogeography, Croatia is a part of the Boreal Kingdom and is a part of Illyrian and Central European provinces of the Circumboreal Region and the Adriatic province of the Mediterranean Region. The World Wide Fund for Nature divides Croatia between three ecoregions—Pannonian mixed forests, Dinaric Mountains mixed forests and Illyrian deciduous forests.[45]

Karst in National Park Sjeverni Velebit

There are 37,000 known species in Croatia, but their actual number is estimated to be between 50,000 and 100,000.[44] The claim is supported by nearly 400 new taxa of invertebrates discovered in Croatia in the first half of the 2000s alone.[44] There are more than a thousand endemic species, especially in Velebit and Biokovo mountains, Adriatic islands and karst rivers. Legislation protects 1,131 species.[44] The most serious threat to them is loss and degradation of habitats. A further problem is presented by appearance of invasive alien species, especially Caulerpa taxifolia algae. The invasive algae are regularly monitored and removed to protect the benthic habitat. Indigenous sorts of cultivated plants and breeds of domesticated animals are also numerous. Those include five breeds of horses, five breeds of cattle, eight breeds of sheep, two breeds of pigs and a poultry breed. Even the indigenous breeds include nine endangered or critically endangered ones.[44]

There are 444 protected areas of Croatia, encompassing 8.5% of the country. Those include 8 national parks in Croatia, 2 strict reserves and 11 nature parks, accounting for 78% of the protected areas.[17] The most famous protected area and the oldest national park in Croatia is the Plitvice Lakes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Velebit Nature Park is a part of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme. The strict and special reserves, as well as the national and nature parks, are managed and protected by the central government, while other protected areas are managed by counties. In 2005, the National Ecological Network was set up, as the first step in preparation of the EU accession and joining of the Natura 2000 network.[44]

[edit] Land use

Forests covered Papuk

As of 2006, 46.8% of territory of Croatia was occupied by 26,487.6 square kilometres (10,226.9 square miles) of forests and shrub, while further 18,452 square kilometres (7,124 square miles) or 32.6% of the land was used for diverse agricultural uses while additional 4,389.1 square kilometres (1,694.6 square miles) or 7.8% are used as arable land for permanent crops. Bush and grass cover is present on 4,742.1 square kilometres (1,830.9 square miles) or 8.4% of the territory, inland waters take up 539.3 square kilometres (208.2 square miles) or 1.0%, and marshes cover 200 square kilometres (77 square miles) or 0.4% of the country. Artificial surfaces, consisting of urban, non-agricultural vegetation, sports and recreational facilities, take up 1,774.5 square kilometres (685.1 square miles) or 3.1% of the country's area. The greatest impetus for change of land use is expansion of settlements and road construction.[17]

As a consequence of the Croatian War of Independence, there are numerous minefields in Croatia left over, largely tracing former front lines. As of 2006, areas suspected of presence of minefields covered 954.5 square kilometres (368.5 square miles).[17] As of 2012, 62% of the remaining minefields are situated in forests and 26% of them are found in agricultural land. At the same time, it is expected that mine-clearance of the minefields shall be completed by 2019.[46]

[edit] Regions

Main article: List of regions of Croatia

Croatia is traditionally divided into numerous, often overlapping geographic regions, whose borders are not always clearly defined. The largest and most readily recognizable ones throughout the country are Central Croatia also described as Zagreb macro-region, eastern Croatia—largely corresponding with Slavonia, and mountainous Croatia (Lika and Gorski Kotar) to the east and west of it respectively. These three comprise inland or continental part of Croatia. Coastal parts of Croatia consist of further two regions—Dalmatia or the southern littoral, extending between general area of the city of Zadar and the southernmost tip of the country, and the northern littoral located north of Dalmatia, encompassing the Croatian Littoral and Istria. The geographical regions generally do not conform to county boundaries or other administrative divisions, and all of them encompass further, more specific, geographic regions.[47]

[edit] Human geography

[edit] Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Croatia
2011 Croatian population density by county in persons per km²:
  <30   30-49   50-69   70-89   90-119   120-200   >200

The demographic features of the population of Croatia include statistical data collected through censuses, normally conducted in ten-year intervals and analysed by various statistical bureaus since the 1850s. The Croatian Bureau of Statistics performs this task since the 1990s. The latest census in Croatia was performed in April 2011. The permanent population of Croatia at the 2011 census had reached 4.29 million. Population density equals 75.8 inhabitants per square kilometre, and the overall life expectancy in Croatia at birth is 75.7 years. Since 1991, Croatia's death rate continuously exceeds its birth rate. The population rose steadily from 2.1 million in 1857 until 1991, when it peaked at 4.7 million, with the exception of censuses taken following the two world wars. The natural growth rate of the population is currently negative, with the demographic transition completed in the 1970s. In terms of age structure, the population is dominated by the 15–64 year old segment. The median age of the population is 41.4, and the gender ratio of the total population is 0.93 males per 1 female.[4][48]

Croatia is inhabited mostly by Croats (89.6%), while minorities include Serbs (4.5%), and 21 other ethnicities (less than 1% each) recognized by the Constitution of Croatia.[4][49] The demographic history of Croatia is marked by significant migrations, including the arrival of the Croats in the area,[50] growth of Hungarian and German speaking population since the personal union of Croatia and Hungary,[51] and joining of the Habsburg Empire,[52] migrations set off by Ottoman conquests,[53][54][55] and growth of Italian speaking population in Istria and in Dalmatia during Venetian rule there.[56] After the collapse of Austria-Hungary, the Hungarian population declined,[57] while the German speaking population was forced or compelled to leave after World War II,[58] and similar fate was suffered by the Italian population.[59] Late 19th century and the 20th century were marked by large scale economic migrations abroad.[60][61][62] The 1940s and the 1950s in Yugoslavia were marked by internal migrations in Yugoslavia, as well as by urbanisation. The most recent significant migrations came as a result of the Croatian War of Independence when hundreds of thousands were displaced.[63][64][65]

The Croatian language is the official language of Croatia, but minority languages are officially used in some local government units.[49][66] Croatian is declared as the native language by 96% of the population.[67] A 2009 survey revealed that 78% of Croatians claim knowledge of at least one foreign language—most often English.[68] The main religions of Croatia are Roman Catholicism (87.8%), Orthodox Christianity (4.4%) and Islam (1.3%).[69] Literacy in Croatia stands at 98.1%.[2] The proportion of the population aged 15 and over attaining academic degrees grew rapidly since 2001, doubling and reaching 16.7% by 2008.[70][71] An estimated 4.5% of the GDP is spent for education.[2] Primary and secondary education are available in Croatian and in languages of recognised minorities. Croatia has a universal health care system and in 2010, the nation spent 6.9% of its GDP on healthcare.[72] Net monthly income in September 2011 averaged 5,397 kuna (c. 729 euro).[73] The most significant sources of employment in 2008 were manufacturing industry, wholesale and retail trade and construction. In October 2011, unemployment rate was 17.4%.[74] Croatia's median equivalent household income tops average Purchasing Power Standard of the ten countries which joined the EU in 2004, while trailing the EU average.[75] 2011 census recorded a total of 1.5 million private households, which predominantly owned their own housing.[4][48]

[edit] Political geography

NUTS of Croatia:
  Northwest Croatia
  Central and Eastern (Pannonian) Croatia
  Adriatic Croatia
Further information: Counties of Croatia and NUTS of Croatia

Croatia was first subdivided into counties in the Middle Ages.[76] The divisions changed over time to reflect losses of territory to Ottoman conquest and subsequent liberation of the same territory, changes of political status of Dalmatia, Dubrovnik and Istria. Traditional division of the country into counties was abolished in the 1920s, when the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and subsequent Kingdom of Yugoslavia introduced oblasts and banovinas respectively.[77] Communist ruled Croatia, as a constituent part of post-WWII Yugoslavia, abolished earlier divisions and introduced municipalities, subdividing Croatia into approximately one hundred municipalities. Counties were reintroduced in 1992 legislation, significantly altered in terms of territory relative to the pre-1920s subdivisions: In 1918, the Transleithanian part of Croatia was divided into eight counties with their seats in Bjelovar, Gospić, Ogulin, Požega, Vukovar, Varaždin, Osijek and Zagreb, and the 1992 legislation established 15 counties in the same territory.[78][79]

Since the counties were re-established in 1992, Croatia is divided into 20 counties and the capital city of Zagreb, the latter having the authority and legal status of a county and a city at the same time. Borders of the counties changed in some instances since, with the latest revision taking place in 2006. The counties subdivide into 127 cities and 429 municipalities.[80]

Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) division of Croatia is performed in several tiers. NUTS 1 level places the entire country in a single unit, while there area three NUTS 2 regions. Those are Northwest Croatia, Central and Eastern (Pannonian) Croatia and Adriatic Croatia. The latter encompasses all counties along the Adriatic coast. The Northwest Croatia includes the city of Zagreb, Zagreb, Krapina-Zagorje, Varaždin, Koprivnica-Križevci and Međimurje counties, and the Central and Eastern (Pannonian) Croatia includes the remaining areas—Bjelovar-Bilogora, Virovitica-Podravina, Požega-Slavonia, Brod-Posavina, Osijek-Baranja, Vukovar-Syrmia, Karlovac and Sisak-Moslavina counties. Individual counties and the city of Zagreb also represent NUTS 3 level subdivision units in Croatia. The NUTS Local administrative unit divisions are two-tiered. LAU 1 divisions match the counties and the city of Zagreb in effect making those the same as NUTS 3 units, while LAU 2 subdivisions correspond to cities and municipalities of Croatia.[81]

Counties of Croatia
County Seat Area (km²) Population
Bjelovar-Bilogora Bjelovar 2,652 119,743
Brod-Posavina Slavonski Brod 2,043 158,559
Dubrovnik-Neretva Dubrovnik 1,783 122,783
Istria Pazin 2,820 208,440
Karlovac Karlovac 3,622 128,749
Koprivnica-Križevci Koprivnica 1,746 115,582
Krapina-Zagorje Krapina 1,224 133,064
Lika-Senj Gospić 5,350 51,022
Međimurje Čakovec 730 114,414
Osijek-Baranja Osijek 4,152 304,899
Požega-Slavonia Požega 1,845 78,031
Primorje-Gorski Kotar Rijeka 3,582 296,123
Šibenik-Knin Šibenik 2,939 109,320
Sisak-Moslavina Sisak 4,463 172,977
Split-Dalmatia Split 4,534 455,242
Varaždin Varaždin 1,261 176,046
Virovitica-Podravina Virovitica 2,068 84,586
Vukovar-Syrmia Vukovar 2,448 180,117
Zadar Zadar 3,642 170,398
Zagreb County Zagreb 3,078 317,642
City of Zagreb Zagreb 641 792,875

[edit] Urbanisation

See also: List of cities in Croatia and List of inhabited islands of Croatia

Average urbanisation rate in Croatia stands at 56%, with augmentation of urban population and reduction of rural population. The largest city and the nation's capital is Zagreb with urban population of 686,568 in the city itself. Zagreb metropolitan area encompasses 341 additional settlements and by year 2001, population of the area reached 978,161.[82] Cities of Split and Rijeka are the largest settlements on the Croatian Adriatic coast with population of each of the cities exceeding 100,000. There are five more cities in Croatia exceeding population of 50,000—Osijek, Zadar, Pula, Sesvete and Slavonski Brod. Further eleven cities are populated by more than 20,000.[48]

Most populous urban areas of Croatia

Zagreb
Zagreb
Split
Split
Rijeka
Rijeka
Osijek
Osijek

 Rank Settlement County Urban population Municipal population

Zadar
Zadar
Pula
Pula
Šibenik
Šibenik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
1 Zagreb City of Zagreb 686,568 792,875
2 Split Split-Dalmatia 165,893 178,192
3 Rijeka Primorje-Gorski Kotar 127,498 128,735
4 Osijek Osijek-Baranja 83,496 107,784
5 Zadar Zadar 70,674 75,082
6 Pula Istria 57,191 57,765
7 Sesvete City of Zagreb 54,494 -
8 Slavonski Brod Brod-Posavina 53,473 59,507
9 Karlovac Karlovac 46,827 55,981
10 Varaždin Varaždin 38,746 47,055
11 Šibenik Šibenik-Knin 34,242 46,372
12 Sisak Sisak-Moslavina 33,049 47,699
13 Vinkovci Vukovar-Syrmia 31,961 35,375
14 Velika Gorica Zagreb 31,341 63,511
15 Dubrovnik Dubrovnik-Neretva 28,113 42,461
16 Bjelovar Bjelovar-Bilogora 27,099 40,443
17 Vukovar Vukovar-Syrmia 26,716 28,016
18 Koprivnica Koprivnica-Križevci 23,896 30,872
19 Solin Split-Dalmatia 20,080 23,985
20 Zaprešić Zagreb 19,574 25,226
Source: 2011 Census[83]


[edit] See also

Croatia image Croatia portal
Geography image Geography portal

[edit] References

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